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Stakeholders Fear Lack Of Transparency With Hayward Field Renovation

Runners cruise by the east grandstand of historic Hayward Field in Eugene. Stakeholders worry about a lack of transparency as the project undergoes renovations for the 2021 world track championships.

Register-Guard

From the outside, Hayward Field looks exactly as it did in 2015, when the University of Oregon announced plans to renovate its iconic track and field venue.

By now, the aging facility was supposed to have been replaced by a state-of-the-art stadium capable of accommodating the 2021 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Instead, the project stalled as the university searched for a design that would satisfy the International Association of Athletics Federations, Eugene’s hardcore track fans and the school’s largest donor, Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

The university says it has found that design — which includes a complete teardown of the East Grandstand, once slated for partial preservation — and will unveil plans to the public next month. But some stakeholders, including the son of legendary Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, have expressed concern about what they see as a lack of transparency surrounding the project.

“I definitely support the idea of the renovation, but I worry (about) the direction it’s going right now, without public input, and without disclosure, and without the opportunity for stakeholders to participate and share in ownership of it,” Jay Bowerman said.